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cunningba's review against another edition
4.0
I first read this book in the summer of 1965. Saw it beside Howl in a bookstore on Telegraph Avenue, probably Shakespeare & Co. It was delightfully iconoclastic, with overtones of Subterranean Homesick Blues. Well over my head at the time with its dense literary allusions and references to locations I hadn’t experienced yet. 55 years later, more widely read and more widely traveled, it makes more sense now. Of course not all of it make sense to anyone now; there are numerous obscure autobiographical and personal allusions we may never understand.
Corso was nothing if not a master of mixed metaphors ... or a mister of maxed metaphors. Some poems make Subterranean Homesick Blues look like MacArthur Park.
It starts in San Francisco (“O anti-verdurous phallic ... “) and ends in Paris (“ ... Dollhouse of Mama War.”) with, in Ginsberg’s words, “a box of crazy toys” in between.
Corso was nothing if not a master of mixed metaphors ... or a mister of maxed metaphors. Some poems make Subterranean Homesick Blues look like MacArthur Park.
It starts in San Francisco (“O anti-verdurous phallic ... “) and ends in Paris (“ ... Dollhouse of Mama War.”) with, in Ginsberg’s words, “a box of crazy toys” in between.
mgouker's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyable. Corso's poem are melodic and dream-like, but he also has the capability of wrenching you from the lull to ask deep questions.
adru's review against another edition
Võiks ju arvata, et noorukesena järgib Corso oma teisi ja juba siis myytilisi sõpru, aga äge, et ta on hoopis omamoodi, ehkki aeg-ajalt satub ikka ringiga tagasi asjade juurde, mis on ilmeksimatult biidikad.
hornmp's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
heybender's review against another edition
3.0
gasoline was great; the vestal lady on brattle was meh
shaunnow38's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic collection of poems. Although some poems are hit and miss, I feel that the strength of some other poems (like the brilliant sound styling within "For Miles" or the babbling and quick style of "In The Fleeting Hand Of Time") more than makes up for the general weakness of the few poems that feel weak or empty. The Beat spirit takes on an interesting turn with Corso's own individual person behind the pen.
gilbertka's review against another edition
4.0
I read this all the way through in one sitting and enjoyed every minute of it. Some poems felt like a break in between the more enjoyable poems, but that being said I found none of the writing to be bad. I marked some pages for a reread so I can take each poem in even more in the future. Corso sometimes is unfortunately ignored by people because of other writers of his time, but I am glad to have read this as my introduction to his work!
sarahconnor89757's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not going to wax poetic about this book, but I enjoyed it. It had a bizarro aspect to it that I enjoyed. Mexicans sure were mentioned a lot. I guess Corso likes Mexicans.
...Wait, I think Corso is a Hispanic name. That might explain it.
...Wait, I think Corso is a Hispanic name. That might explain it.
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